A thriving garden starts with knowing your soil type. Plants require food (nutrients) to thrive just as we do, promoting healthy growth and giving us that colourful display or bumper crop of fruit or vegetables we desire. For the better matched the plant is to the growing medium the healthier it will be, helping to avoid disease, insects or fungus.

It is never too soon or too late to test your soil composition and is so easy. I purchased a soil kit from Buckerfields country store for under $30. It comes complete with everything you need. Everything is colour coded, including the comparator films and capsules for easy use. Also included is a plant pH preference list for the gardener.

Soil should be tested periodically to ensure there is a balance of nutrients to support plant life. It is especially important in the spring before you plant to see if you need to amend the soil for better growing results. If your current garden is showing signs of stress then it is equally important to test it, after you have eliminated other problems that could correlate to plant stress. eg…poor soil drainage, insufficient sunlight, insects or disease. These issues will also cause leaf discolouration and stunted growth as well, so rule them out first before you conclude it is the soil. Most gardens do require amendments periodically as the nutrients are used up by plant consumption and nutrients leaching out from natural seasonal changes, such as seasonal rains. A periodic soil test will let you catch nutrient deficiencies before they adversely affect your plants. Besides indicating nutrient deficiencies, a soil test can also provide information on soil acidity, the percentage of organic matter in your soil, and your soil’s texture.

Proper testing = True Validity of Results

The results validity depends on your soil sample collection. If you are testing your lawn area then only take samples from the lawn. Do not take samples from the vegetable or flower garden areas as the soil could and probably is different. To test your lawn, use a shovel and slice through the grass up to 6 inches deep. Roots naturally grow 4 to 6 inches deep so digging this deep will give you a true picture of the nutrient base. Make sure to take several samples throughout your lawn area and mix them in a clean container. A typical soil sample requires 1 cup of soil so mix your samples together and add bottled, distilled or spring water. Do not use treated tap water as it will skew your test results.

If you are testing your vegetable or flower garden area, then repeat the above instructions and yes, these samples can be added together to give you an accurate picture of your soil composition. Making sure to discard stones, sticks, insects or other debris in your samples before you test.

At the very least, test your soil’s pH, which is a measure of how acidic your soil is. If the pH level isn’t in the correct range, plants cannot take up nutrients in the soil. You should also test for phosphorus and potassium because plants require both of these nutrients in relatively large amounts. A complete checkup would include tests for nutrients that are essential but needed only in minute quantities, such as iron, manganese, and zinc. If you regularly enrich your soil with an abundance of compost and other organic materials, micro nutrient problems are unlikely.

pH testing – to ensure an accurate test result do not touch the soil with bare hands. Add soil to the pH compartment container to the fill line. Then add the PH test powder capsule to the container and add water to the fill line. Shake it and let it sit for a minimum of 30 minutes. I try and leave it overnight for up to 24 hours to let it settle.

The other three test compartments are for testing Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potash. For these tests with the remaining soil test samples you have mixed together, add 5 cups of water. Use the 1 part soil to 5 parts water as a basis for true test results. Shake or stir well to ensure it is well mixed and then let it settle until the sediments have settled to the bottom. I try and leave this mixture to settle overnight to give a true result. Use the dropper provided and add the liquid only from the soil and water mix to each compartment matching it to the colour coded capsule. Add the capsule to the test compartment and shake throughly…it will settle within 10 minutes and allow you to read the colour coded results of your soil.

The test kit comes complete with easy to follow instructions and easy colour coding to read the results. Knowing your soil composition correlations to a happy growth for any lawn or garden area. It takes the guess work out, saving you time and money and helping to ensure your plants have the nutrients they need.

pH – Plants need the correct pH level (which is a test of its acidity/alkalinity) which controls how well the plants will utilize the nutrients available in your soil. All plants have a pH preference so it is important to know your ph reading in order to either amend the existing soil or match the correct plants to the pH soil level.

P – Phosphorus is required for growing plants…it is the major constituent of plant genetics and seed develop0ment. A deficiency causes stunted growth and seed sterility. It aids the plant in maturity, increase plant yield and maturity, increases vitamin content and aids in staving off pest, diseases and winter kill.

K – Potash strengthens the plant, it helps form carbohydrates and promotes plant synthesis…better tasting fruits and vegetables, more vivid flower colours, aids in early growth, aids in maturity, stem strength and cold hardiness. Plants deficient in potash are usually stunted in size, growth, poor yields, have poor root systems and may have leaves that are spotted, curled and/or dried out.

N – Nitrogen is synonymous with plant nutrition. It is directly responsible for producing leaf growth and green leaves. A deficiency cause yellow leaves and stunted growth. Too much nitrogen causes overabundant foliage with delayed flowering; the plant becomes subject to disease and its fruit is of poor quality.

Plants are very forgiving and will recover quickly from deficiencies if caught early. The best way to ensure a healthy plant is to test before planting and/or test regularly. Organic amendments regularly will help to ensure a natural balance in the soils.